In addition to securing the perimeter of your network, a key component of zero trust access is continuous multi-factor authentication. Whether your company has an on-premises network or a public one, two-factor authentication should be the standard. Other important considerations in cyber security include defensible architecture, continuous monitoring, defensible architecture, and prevention of malicious software, which aims to protect against all threats. This article will discuss these three critical components and how they work together.
Defensible architecture
A recent report by Gartner describes a new type of cybersecurity architecture called SASE. This architecture combines zero trust and Defense-in-Depth to support cloud-only businesses and converges network security and networking. A zero trust architecture is designed to keep adversaries out by requiring user accounts and device identity authentication. Using zero trust, organizations can eliminate the risk of a cyberattack by closing the “last mile” of open space on their endpoints.
A strong Zero Trust Access architecture will constantly verify that end users have clean devices and scan them for malware. In addition, it will require access rights to change dynamically based on user roles. Therefore, a company needs to have a supportive workforce to implement Zero Trust. However, the approach is expensive, which means that most organizations already have a control plane in place. In addition, it will require a more secure organizational culture.
Continuous multi-factor authentication
In the context of cyber security, Continuous multi-factor authentication is an objective that narrows the focus of trust. Microsoft’s Cybersecurity Solutions Group has explicitly stated this objective. It also mandates multi-factor authentication for 100% of its employees. While this method isn’t a panacea, it can help mitigate the risks of data breaches. While traditional perimeter-based security methods aren’t as effective, the transition to a zero trust approach will ensure that agencies have a defensible architecture.
Prevention of malicious software
When defining cyber security, zero trust access can be defined as eliminating human errors in network access and security. This approach limits access to resources and controls user activities. Users must be authenticated to access corporate resources, but a zero trust network is more resistant to attacks due to a lack of trust. It also helps prevent human errors by monitoring user activities. Therefore, zero trust access is a promising solution to combat cybercrime.
In terms of cyber security, Zero Trust provides stringent policies to stop external threats and safeguard against internal agents. Studies have shown that up to 30% of data breaches occur because of attacks by internal agents. As a result, Zero Trust applies the philosophy of “never trust, always verify.” This approach monitors every access to data, servers, and devices by implementing extended authentication.
Mitigation of lateral movement
In the world of cyber security, lateral movement is a major concern. By traversing a network without being detected, attackers can steal sensitive information, such as user credentials and service entitlements. This information can include network hierarchy, operating systems, and server resources. The longer attackers dwell in the network, the higher their chances of obtaining valuable information. In a real-world example, the Equifax data breach occurred when hackers gained access to 150 million consumer credit records. The company has since paid out hundreds of millions of dollars to rectify the breach and spent billions of dollars on security upgrades.
Traditional network security relies on the castle-and-moat concept. The idea behind this is to prevent users from crossing the network’s perimeter and trust those within it. This approach, however, is no longer viable in today’s mobile workforce and BYOD policies. Cloud adoption and the rise of IoT also make this strategy ineffective. Instead, organizations need to implement a network security solution that mitigates lateral movement.
